Courses and Workshops
SCREENWRITING ESSENTIALS
Screenwriting Essentials enables aspiring screenplay writers to
fully explore the craft of dramatic writing for film in a relaxed
and focused atmosphere. The course provides an overview of screenplay
development from the first idea to story premise, treatment, step
outline, synopsis, story concept, dramatic structure, character
development, building and turning scenes and the ultimate
meaning of story.
Special attention is given to basic areas of script development
through lecture, film clips and examples provided from the work
of the class. Areas addressed include:
- How your plot supports the story through the choice and arrangement
of events, and use of compelling dramatic action and subtext to
drive the story forward.
- How character is developed primarily through the principles
of choice and conflict.
- How text serves you best by being implicit, focused and provocative.
Screenwriting Essentials offers writers an overall
look at what Hollywood expects in a finished screenplay. The program
includes over 18 hours of instruction, all materials, and the breakdown
of two feature length films.
© 2006 The PlayCrafters Group
FIRST STEPS: DRAMATIC STEPS TO A DYNAMIC SCREENPLAY
This course guides the writer through the important first steps
of dramatic story creation. Each writer will formulate a viable
Story Premise and from that, create a Story Treatment, Step Outline
and Story Concept: all vitally important elements to the development
of any screenplay.
The goal is to develop a 30-minute film script, detailing plot points
and story arc, character goals and character arcs and meaning. By
the end of the course, participants will have created a first draft
of an actual 30-minute screenplay.
The workshop features extensive homework assignments throughout
the entire course. Between classes, each participant will be encouraged
to meet with a partner to provide feedback on structure and character
development, logic and dramatic engine regarding each element and
phase of their story’s development.
Each writer should come to the first class with several ideas they’d
like to develop into a screenplay. Premises will be accepted according
to which offers the most compelling advantages in terms of dramatic
and character development.
© 2006 The PlayCrafters Group
ACT I: SETTING UP YOUR STORY
Getting off to a strong start in your screenplay is essential in
an industry that typically throws away scripts after reading or
skimming only the first few pages. ACT I: SETTING UP YOUR STORY
is designed to help film writers avoid that painful scenario by
helping them identify and focus on what they are trying to accomplish
in their stories, while staying true to the established principles
of dramatic storytelling and script development.
This advanced course requires participants to bring to the first
class a completed outline as well as the first act of their screenplay.
Over the weeks ahead, we will examine each first act according to
the essentials of dramatic writing, including structure, character
development and text/subtext. Each act will be evaluated for opening
images, genre, inciting incident, dramatic situation, point of engagement,
character needs/wants/goals, major obstacles, emotional stakes and
dramatic question. Formatting will also be critiqued through actual
examples developed in class.
Homework includes preparation of coverage reports on the first acts
of each member in class.
Halfway through the course, all students will have the opportunity
to re-write their first act and to present it once again to the
class. In other words, each first act will be presented twice; as
a first draft and as a rewrite.
The course is presented through lecture, film clips and examples
from within the class. The ultimate goal is for students to be able
to apply what they’ve learned in their first act to the rest
of their screenplay. as well as offering them an inside look at
what Hollywood expects in a finished script.
© 2006 The PlayCrafters Group
PITCHING: FIVE MINUTES TO FAME
Batter up! Whether we know it or not, all of us have pitched our
entire lives. The purpose of this workshop is to help writers recognize
those natural skills and apply them in a conscious and professionally
viable way. This is an important step in the second phase of a script’s
life because it’s not enough to write the script – you
must learn how to sell it.
Pitching: Five Minutes to Fame is a professional workshop presented
for advanced students. The course is designed to help writers improve
their pitching skills by zeroing in on what studio executives need
to know about their script. What they essentially want to hear is
what the story is about; not every plot detail. The immediate goal
is to grab their attention in such a way that it entices them into
reading your script. To do this, really knowing what your script
is about will prove just as important as the passion you show for
it.
In the class, each participant will start by delivering their five
minute pitch directly to Jim, just as one would in an actual pitch
fest. The class will observe; taking notes on what they liked and
what they didn’t.
Because it’s often hard to know how you’re coming across
when pitching, all presenters will be videotaped. After each presentation
have been made, we will gather as a class to review and break down
the various components behind a
successful pitch and what it is that listeners need to hear from
you.
After the group meets, Jim will meet with each writer to review
their tape and decide what improvements might still be made. Between
the end of the workshop and the following session, the homework
assignment will be to apply the skills learned in class to their
pitch – focusing and refining it for another go-round the
next weekend.
During the final session, writers will again be taped and privately
reviewed so that they can see for themselves the improvements made
in their presentation. Pitches can almost always get better and
that’s the purpose for this workshop – to make them
the best they can be.
There is no other workshop that I know of that so quickly zeros
in on what an individual writer needs to present their work in both
a passionate and professional way.
REQUIREMENTS
- Those registered must have completed one screenplay that they
are passionate about and/or a treatment that they feel they will
be able to pitch in five minutes or less.
© 2006 The PlayCrafters Group
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